


Your New Life

by Ashleyartsy



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-05-02 16:39:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5255618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashleyartsy/pseuds/Ashleyartsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You move to the quaint town of Gravity Falls. You start your journey looking for a job and getting settled in.</p><p>-This takes place after summer, which was still full of all the adventures from the show, minus Ford. Stan wasn't able to start up the portal after finding the third journal and he's still working on it.- </p><p>Rated M for future stuff! Right now there's only cussing and hints at sexuality.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The beginning, making a home

**Author's Note:**

> I've tried to make the character vague, so you can imagine yourself in that position, but there are some specifics. The reader kind of has anxiety and worries about a lot. It's something I've seen lacking in fics, so I wanted to put that in since it's something I deal with. That means the reader'll be shy for certain things, like meeting Mabel and Dipper or... other ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡ °)
> 
> Heads up, I don't really know how the shack's laid out, and I've described it as a little different. The curtained room leads to the museum in the show, but I've written it as a backroom for supplies and stock. 
> 
> My idea for this is to have your first experiences in the town all laid out and explained, like your first couple of days and meeting Stan, then I want to spread it out more over time and have bigger moments written (Halloween/Christmas/moments with Stan) I'm not a great writer so idk how this is gonna go lmao
> 
> Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear any critiques or opinions!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing is actually happening in this chapter, sorry! Right now, you're moving into Gravity Falls and just starting something there. It'll get better! I've been wanting a multi-chapter Stan x reader fic, so I decided to write one! It's going to start off slow, but it's gonna be really cute! I'm so excited to see how this'll turn out. It's my first fic c:
> 
> It's not too long, but I think I wrote too many details haha. It's so late, but I had to write I was too excited about it (it's almost 5 am omg)

When you were in high school, you were looking for any type of residential community college that had cheap tuition + room and board and a cheap deposit. During the search you found a lot of them, but the two that stuck with you were Gravity Falls Community College (Gravity Falls, Oregan) and Colorado Northwestern Community College (Craig, Colorado). You soon decided that you were going to college in Gravity Falls. It was quaint and seemed beautiful, plus you've always wanted to experience that area of the country.

That was a couple of years ago, and your plans since then have changed. You're no longer going to attend college, but the town had swooned you. You couldn't just leave it in the back of your mind after you decided against school. Once you saved enough, you moved to Gravity Falls.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moment you drive past the "Welcome to Gravity Falls!" sign, you really see how charming the town is. It's set deep in a valley, and the moon shines over the mountainous hills and cliffs. This is so much better than your previous city and you're so excited to see what Gravity Falls can offer you.

You see a motel right on the edge of town and pull into the parking lot. You get out and stretch, it's been almost three hours since you last filled up on gas. You walk towards the small lobby of the motel and open the door, hearing the little bell and the calm whir of a fan. The man behind the counter looks up at you.

"Needin' a room?" He asks, voice gruff.

"Yes please, how much?"

"It's 58 for a one bed, and 75 for two."

"I'll take the one bedroom, thank you." You hand him your debit card and the transaction is quick. Your room number is 8.

The room is dingy, but that was expected. You place your bag on the bed and change into your night clothes immediately. Such a long drive is so tiring. You use the bathroom before getting under the covers and turning on the TV. You're exhausted and fall asleep as soon as you turn onto your side.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You woke with excitement. A new town, everything is going to be different. _This is the start of your life, _____,_ you tell yourself. You don't know how long you're going to stay here, but it's an experience you were yearning for.

You have a meeting with a landlord, Jacob Gleeful, about a place you were looking into at 1. Everything was all set, you signed the papers and finalized the lease while still at home. You didn't care what the place was like, you saw pictures and it seemed fine, you just needed a place to live once you got here. It's almost 11, so you rush to brush your hair and get into the shower.

The shower's kinda gross, and the shower head releases water with serious pressure. It hurt and made your skin numb after a while. The little shampoo and conditioner that was given are definitely cheap and aren't doing much for your hair. You get out, dry off, and prep for the meeting.

It's a little before one, so you leave for the apartment to try and beat the landlord there. You talk with a different person in the lobby before leaving and tell her you'll be staying another night.

Despite the size of the town, the apartment is difficult to find. You turn onto a large stretch of road, Main St. you guessed, that's hard to see down because of the sun that was shining over the cliffs. The apartment complex finally appears once you turn off onto a side street and you look on it with relief. There are a few cars in front of the building and you park in one of the many empty spaces. You look left and see Jacob through the windows of a couple cars, looking down at a phone or papers.

You step out and a light breeze hits you. It's refreshing and smells like fall.

"I love fall so fucking much," you say to yourself as you close the car door.

You step on the deteriorated curb and walk towards Jacob's car a little. He sees you and steps out. He looks business casual.

He slams the car door and looks at you, "_____, right?"

You politely smile and reach your hand out, "yes! How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you," he says flatly and takes your hand in his. "Would you like to see the place and then immediately sign?"

"Yes, that would be great. I'm excited!"

"Alright, let's go." He starts walking up the pathway and steps up to the door, unlocking it. "As you know, it's on the second floor. It's a safe building and there hasn't been a break in for years. Thanks to the town, I guess. Hardly any crime here, just some grocery store theft every now and again."

We're at the door of the apartment and he stops talking. He unlocks that as well and has to give some kind of force to open the door. "It's a little stiff," he explains as the door opens and he steps in, "it hasn't been opened in maybe a month. Even if it's used I think it still sticks sometimes."

You walk in behind him and you're somewhat relieved. You knew the place wasn't going to be a dump, but actually seeing it look nice was uplifting. The entrance was a little hallway, with an opening into the kitchen on the right and the living room straight ahead. Jacob turns around and stands in the middle of the living room, facing you while you stand in threshold of the hall.

He motions, "the kitchen," pointing behind you, "the living room," spreading his arms, "the bedroom, bathroom, and linen closet," pointing right.

"Alright, awesome!" You say while walking towards the bedroom. You step in and you're glad it's a sufficient size. You come out and smile, "let's sign."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You pull into a little gas station and park in front of a pump. You don't wanna deal with your card in the antique looking pump, so you walk into the building. The girl behind the counter welcomes you. You walk around the shop slowly looking for some food, finally settling on some chips, a sandwich, and a drink. You walk up to the counter and smile at the cashier, "all this and $40 on pump 3, please." She rings you up and you leave, holding the door for a teenage couple.

You walk to your car and put the nozzle into your tank. You can hear it slowly filling and you take this time to think.

_I'll be able to move into the apartment in only two days! I'm so excited! Dad'll be driving the moving truck here next Wednesday. It's Friday, so I'll get that stuff in plenty of time once I move in. Now that I've got the apartment out of the way I need to find a job. I should go in the station again and ask if they're hiring... maybe I could work at a grocery store... or a small town shop... I'd love that. Like a bookstore or a-_

The pump clicks and you pull the nozzle out, pointing it up to keep the gas from dripping. The gasoline smells strong and burns the inside of your nose. You walk back into the store and wait for someone in front of you to finish their transaction.

"Thank you have a nice day... hey again, how are you?"

"Good," you smile, "I was just wondering if you guys were hiring? And if you know of any other places that are hiring in town."

"Yes, we are! My manager told me to give anyone asking this," handing you an application, "we're looking for people available for all shifts. There are some other places around here hiring, like the diner down the road and another gas station on the other side of town. Also the Mystery Shack, up in the woods, is hiring. My friend's the cashier there, but school is starting really soon and she'll have to switch to weekend shift."

"Okay, thank you!" You leave the store ecstatic and feel so good about your decision to live here. Walking to your car, you write notes into your phone.

**Phillips 66**

**other gas station**

**Diner**

**Mystery Shack**

All prospective jobs at the moment. The Mystery Shack seems interesting, but you don't know about driving up into the woods and back every day. You sit in your car and think about these jobs. The diner kind of freaks you out, waitressing always has. It seems so overwhelming. The best jobs for you would be the others.

**Phillips 66**

**other gas station**

**Mystery shack**

You fill out the application and feel stupid not doing it in the station. You'll just come back in a couple of hours and hand it in. You finish, set it in the passenger seat, and start up the car. You drive down main street again looking for that second gas station. You see it about a half mile from the stop light and pull into the parking lot once you near it.

You're in and out quickly.

**Phillips 66**

**Mystery Shack**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess Jacob Gleeful is Bud Gleeful's brother or something??? idrk lmao. I hope you liked it! I would love to write a lot more on this. Let me know if you enjoyed it or what I could improve on, if you want. Thank you for reading!
> 
> p.s.: idk how renting stuff works omg


	2. The Mystery Shack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You head to the Mystery Shack and talk with Mr. Mystery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's stan time ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> You're just meeting with him and getting first impressions. The chapters always seem longer when typing them up on a document lmao. Sorry if there's any errors!

Before going up into the woods in search of the shack, you decide to shop for some groceries. The grocery store is small, so you find things quickly and grab some basic food items that you think you'd need. There's no one in line at the cashier, who's a tired looking young woman, and you put your items on the belt. She welcomes you with a small, "hello."

"Do you know how to get to the Mystery Shack from here?"

She looks up from the groceries and her eyes are glaring. "You need to turn right once you get to the end of the parking lot and take another right down the street." She scans the last item, "that'll be $24.82." You make the transaction and she says, "you'll keep going straight and take your first left on a dirt road. That'll lead you straight there." She hands you your bag of groceries. "Yep, I've had a few run-ins with the Pines'... Mr. Mystery more like Mr. pain in my goddamn ass..."

"Okay, thank you," you breathe and leave the store, giving a laugh at her hostility. You get to your car and take this time to eat the food you got at the gas station. You aren't sure about the Mystery Shack now. You can't imagine what this Pines guy is like.

You ponder with what you want to do and finish your food. You pull down the mirror above you and check your reflection to fix your hair or get stuff off your face. Pushing it back up, you start up the car and head towards the shack. The directions given by the cashier were pretty simple, so it shouldn't be too hard to find. You followed what she said exactly and find yourself on a dirt road going through the woods. It's wide to allow cars on both sides, which seems to be needed because cars are coming out as you're going in. The drive is beautiful due to the twisty road with trees all around. You can see mountains through the trees and you realize that you'd love to work here. Before, you were worried about the drive, but it's not really up in the woods like you thought when the gas station clerk explained it to you. You soon come into a clearing and see about 20 cars in the dirt parking space in front of the building. The building has definitely seen better days. The sign on top is falling apart and the whole thing looks like it's going to collapse. To the left of the shack (an appropriate word) you see a group of people standing and watching a man showing something off. That must be Mr. Mystery. He's wearing a black suit and an eye patch, holding a cane that seems more for show. You can hear him clear from where you're standing, and he's probably almost 100 feet away.

You can't ask him about a job since he's busy, so you walk to the shop and enter through the open door. There are a couple people scattered around the place looking at merchandise and talking. You walk up to the counter and the girl behind it gives you a friendly greeting, "hey man! How are ya'?"

"I'm great, thank you," you smile, glad that she's nice, "I came up here to see if you guys were hiring. There was a girl at the gas station who said you were looking."

"We sure are. That must've been Amy you talked to, we go to school together. We're actually starting next week. Major bummer."

"Yeah, I'm so glad I'm not in school anymore," you give a laugh. "Do you have some applications?"

"Well, you probably won't need to do any app or interview stuff. You can just talk with Mr. Pines and he'll decide if he likes you or not. If he does, he might hire you on the spot. He's on a tour right now, but it should end soon. Maybe 20 minutes if you'd like to wait. I'm Wendy, by the way."

"Okay, thanks a lot! I'll go ahead and wait here," you smile at each other and walk towards some of the items strewn across the shelves. Everything looks organized but in a messy way. You shake one of the snowglobes, browse through the shirts, paw through some knick-knacks, just passing time. You hear voices outside and people coming up the steps. It's the tourist group, but you don't see Mr. Pines. You're kind of relieved because you've been pretty nervous this whole time.

The shop has a lot more people in it, but it's not too crowded. You're off to the side near the vending machine and anxiously waiting for the crowd to die down and to talk with the boss. The door next to you slams open, scaring the hell out of you. "Alright folks," Mr. Pines barks as he enters the room, giving you a glance as he passes you and stands a little past you. "Next tour's in half an hour! Buy my merch! We have t-shirts and snow globes, and we'll soon have sweaters for the comin' season!" He walks towards customers, talking with them and making sure they don't leave empty handed. You hesitate to talk to him because he's with customers and he's honestly a little intimidating. He's so much louder and has much more pinache than you. Definitely a salesman. You look over at Wendy, hoping maybe she could get him for you, but she was busy with customers as well. You just stand there, waiting for everything to calm down.

You're looking at some items on the shelf next to you, thinking about buying something so this guy won't trap you in a sale and you can just leave. This job seems like a lot.

"You gonna buy anything, doll?"

You abrubtly turn at the rough voice and look up at Mr. Pines. "You've been standin' here for probably ten minutes, what's your plan? Those bobbleheads you're lookin' at there are $30, original price, but for you I'll make 'em $25." Wow, what a steal.

You smile and try to act polite, "actually, I'm here looking for a job. I didn't want to bother you when you were with customers. Wendy said to talk to you..." you trail off a bit to just let him process what you said and answer you.

"Come in here with me so we can talk." You follow him into the next room, which is dark but clearly a living area. It makes sense to have the building you work in also be your home but for the type of business, you think he'd wanna live somewhere separate. He keeps the door you walked in cracked and turns toward you, his back to the entrance.

You can tell he's pondering on how he thinks of you. You take some time to notice what he looks like. You notice the roughness to his face that matches the roughness of his voice. You find him attractive in a gross old man kind of way. You're into older guys, but this one's old old, maybe 60. He isn't wearing his eyepatch anymore, so you guess that was for show too. After he looks at you for a moment, he asks, "what's your business? Are you new in town?"

"Yes, I just got into town yesterday! It's really nice. I've been looking into a gas station and here for a job."

He pauses for a moment, "I think you'd do good here. Gas stations are boring and gross. Not like the Mystery Shack! We've got mystery and excitement, and people lined out the door to see the next greatest attraction! What do ya say, kid? You wanna work here?"

You smile and nod with excitement, "yeah!"

"Alright," he says with a big grin and holding out his cane in front of him with two hands, "not too many people come here lookin', so I'm glad you got here just in time for Wendy to be headin' out. She won't be workin' on the weekdays anymore. Would you wanna start on Monday?"

You know there's nothing you need to be doing until Wednesday, "yes! I could start then. On Wednesday I'm moving in some of my furniture and stuff, so I may have to leave for a few hours. Is there any paperwork we should fill out?"

"Nah, there's no reason. I'm a small business so I can't offer you benefits and such. The most I'll be able to pay is $7 an hour. I'll be payin' you up front every other Friday. You'd be workin' from 8 in the morning to 8 at night, Monday through Friday. How's it sound?"

"That sounds good!" A lot of hours, but that just means you'll make more with the smaller pay. He reaches out his hand and you take it in yours, "I'm _____ ______, by the way."

"_____, it's nice to meet you and I'm glad to have you workin' for me," he opens the door and walks out with you following, "now get outta here before I make ya buy somethin'".

The crowd in the room was smaller, and some people were waiting for the next tour. "Okay," you say smiling, "I'll see you Monday!" You turn and walk out the door, waving to Wendy as you pass her and you kind of skip down the steps. Everything is falling into place, you're so excited! You reach your car and sit in it ecstatic. You reluctantly leave and reach the main road, heading towards your motel.

A place, a job, and nice people. This was turning out great.

**Mystery Shack**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I often see Wendy portrayed as someone who's super rude in fics but not in this one lol. She's a peach <3
> 
> I hope I was able to get the characters right :s I always worry before and after the writing, but during I'm speeding through like hell ya this is easy
> 
> btw the whole list thing with the jobs is exactly what I do when looking for jobs lol. I have a list made out and erase each job I don't get/want.


	3. Diner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You talk with Stan :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't gonna have much Stan in this but I changed my mind :)

Today's the day you move into your apartment. You're excited, but not exactly thrilled since you don't have any furniture. You're not looking forward to sleeping on an air mattress, but at least it's only for a couple of days. You're going to meet Jacob Gleeful at 2 pm, so he can give you the key and make sure everything's actually final. You look to your right at the night stand and see it's 9:52 am. You spend the morning getting ready and getting your stuff out of the room. By the time you're finished and checked out, it's only a little after noon. You decide you should go to the diner. Maybe you can make some acquaintances.

The drive there is nice; the sky is clouded so the sun isn't shining through the windshield. It's a gloomy day and the gloom really fits the town's vibe. You look down from the sky and see a small sign pointing down a road to the left that says "Greasy's Diner". You slow to a stop, waiting for people coming towards you to pass, and turn on the road. There's a small parking lot up ahead and cliffs surround the area, making beautiful scenery. You come into the clearing and pull into a parking space. There are only three other cars in the lot, to your relief, since you and crowded restaurants don't really mix because of your anxiety. The diner is cute and resembles a big log. There's a stump right next to it, and you can't tell if that's put there purposely or if the diner really was made out of a huge tree.

You get out of your car and the breezes coming off the cliffs hit you. They're behind the diner, so the smell of breakfast is carried with the wind. All of this plus the clouds is like the most peaceful sensory overload ever. You love it. You walk towards the door and up the two steps. A little bell rings when you open the door and you're immediately greeted by a woman with one eye shut who had just served coffee to a man sitting in the booth right next to you.

"Hi there, darling. Haven't seen you before. How are ya?"

"I'm good, thank you"

"Have a seat, hunny, I'll come get your order in a few."

The other two cars belonged to a couple of people sitting at the counter. You take a seat at the very end booth, facing towards the people. There was a window beside you, but not right next to you. You look down at the menu that's set on the table and search for something good.

"Hi hun, what would you like?"

You look up at the woman who greeted you before and smile at her, "I'll just have a waffle and water, please."

"Sure thing, I'm Susan in case you need anything," she says as she takes the menu and goes to talk with the other customers. She seems nice enough.

She gets your water to you quick, while you watch the people interacting and the chef behind the window cooking. The waffle is probably gonna be really good. Food from a small town diner is usually amazing. Susan comes back with a good sized waffle and syrup in a little jar. "Enjoy your meal, dear, and if you need anything else just call me."

"Thank you, Susan."

You pour syrup over the top of the waffle, cut a piece off with your fork, and taste it. Amazing, just as you thought. Looking out the window, all you can see is pines and the tops of mountains that are behind the trees and town. You wanted to move to Craig because you'd have the access to mountains only a couple hours away. You loved the mountains ever since you first saw them, so you knew you had to live near them some day. After obsessing over Craig, you discovered Gravity Falls. It was much more beautiful than the small Colorado town. You couldn't believe you were so in love with that dump when this place was so much better. Mountains were right here and it looked like you could touch them.

You see an old red car come up the road, recognizing the driver as Mr. Pines immediately. He pulls into a space near the door and gets out, glancing back down the road as he smooths his jacket and tugs it down. You feel so awkward, you don't want him to see you; you're bad at starting conversations. The diner is small and you can't avoid him, so you hope he comes to talk to you so you won't have to look at your phone the whole time he's there. You sit without touching the last half of your waffle and scroll through your phone, hearing the door open.

"Hey there, handsome! You're looking so good this afternoon," Susan basically yells to him from behind the counter.

"Morning, toots!" _You have to look at him, I mean, you just have to. You can't pretend like he's not here when they're yelling across the diner, damn._

You look up and make eye contact with him and you give him a smile. He smiles back, walks over to you, and sits across from you. "Hey kid, how are ya? Can I sit with ya?"

"Sure you can. I'm good, how are you?"

"I'm doin' alright, had to take a break from the shack, got a big group comin' today. I'm hopin' Wendy and Soos can keep the place in order until I get back."

Susan comes over immediately, "hey there, _Mystery Maaan_. What can I get ya today?"

"Just get me some of yer fresh coffee there, doll. Two sugars."

"I know how you like it, stud!" She walks off laughing.

You smile and look at him, "are you guys into each other?"

"Am I into Lazy Susan?!" He gives a barking laugh and got a little quieter, "she used to catch my eye and I went out with her, but she's a strange one. She's one a them stereotypical cat lady's. Nice girl, though. Everybody loves her!"

"She is nice!" You take a sip of water. "So, who's Soos?"

"Oh, he's my handy man around the shack. A great kid. You'll love him. He's got a girlfriend though, don't try nothin' funny."

"I won't," you laughed.

"Whaddya got planned for the day? Gonna see some sites? There's lots to see around here."

You explain to him your plans with the landlord and details about the apartment. Susan comes over while you're talking, "here you are, handsome," then you continue when she's gone and watch Mr. Pines stir his coffee and take a drink.

"Ya know hun, you could stay in my house 'til you get yer furniture. The attic's empty since my niece and nephew left for home."

You're kinda shocked and think about some ulterior motives he could have, maybe trying to sleep with you. _Please don't be a sleazy old man_. "No, it's okay," your laugh is hitched and he can probably tell you're nervous, "I've got an air mattress and there's some things I gotta get put up. Thanks though."

"Alright, but the offer's still there. Just in case you get uncomfortable. Soos sometimes spends the night up there, when he stays at the shack later than usual or just feels lonely."

"That seems nice of you... you said there was a lot to see around here. What is there?"

"First, are you gonna eat that waffle, kid? It's gonna get cold." At this point, you were a little too uncomfortable because of the unexpected company to eat the rest, so you decide you're finished.

"No, I'm done! I'm full. Do you want it?" you ask, nudging it towards him a little.

"Hell yeah I want it!" He pulled it towards him and stuffed his face while starting to talk, "to see around here, there's my shack of course!" Another huge bite, "then there's some lookout points, one on top a the cliffs over there," he said, taking the time to chew and pointing towards the back of the diner. He finishes the waffle as you drink your water, "then there's the history museum, if you're into that boring blabber," he pauses and takes a drink of his coffee. "I guess there ain't much to see, but you know what I mean. It's a good town."

"It seems amazing. I love what I've seen so far."

He pushes his arm forward, moving the sleeve and looking down at his watch. "Hey doll, I gotta get outta here. It's almost one and that's when the tour starts. I'd invite ya along, but you got yer meeting."

"That's okay, it was nice talking with you!" "Come by the shack later, why don't ya? I'll show you around to help you get a feel of the place and I'll let ya meet Soos."

"Sure!"

You watch him pull money out of his pocket, sort through, grab some bills, and put the rest back. "I got this one, kid," he says, tapping the money on the table.

"Wait-" but he's up and at the counter before you could protest, handing the money to Susan and saying, "keep the change, toots." You watch him leave, and he looks over to you as he opens the door. You watch him open his car door and start it, disappearing down the road soon after.

You're happy about everything that just happened. You had a great conversation with your future boss and he seems to like you. His charisma and friendliness help you to like him a lot more than you thought you would. You hope that he's not like most of the managers you've had in your life, the ones that have a fake bubbly personality when in reality they're extremely rude and act like you don't matter.

You get up from the booth and walk over to Susan at the cash register. "Hey, did Mr. Pines actually pay for everything?" "He sure did," she said laughing, "left me a big tip, just like always! That crazy man."

You thank her and walk to your car. It's only 1, so you have some time to kill before meeting Jacob. You start up and decide to just drive anywhere. The hour passes and you finally meet with your landlord. Everything is worked out and you're given the key. Your first apartment! You walk in, pushing your body weight against the door to get it open. Some stuff you were carrying is set on the kitchen counter and you go down to your car to get the rest. Towels, utensils, toiletries, and other small things. It's four by the time you're finished getting everything settled and you take a break under the open window while drinking some juice. You have a million thoughts racing through your head, the main one being how you can't wait until you're able to decorate.

You look at the time on your phone, 4:35. You get up and look in the bathroom mirror to fix yourself, looking around and taking in that this is your bathroom now. You grab your keys and head out for the Mystery Shack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope Stan wasn't ooc v.v Sometimes I see him portrayed as a little rude, then showing his soft side, but I didn't really wanna do that. I see him as nice to people unless he doesn't want to give the effort. So he wants to make the effort with you :))) Still though, I hope he resembles canon. I'm not really sure, it's hard to tell.
> 
> I ranted about my managers lol
> 
> btw, Craig is a real place! I was gonna base the story around the reader going to school (which were my plans with Craig - it was what made me want to write this), but I didn't know enough about college to do that and it seemed like I'd just butcher it


	4. Your First Day at the Mystery Shack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get to know Stan a little more on your first day!

The drive to the shack is just as beautiful as it was on Friday, except now the sky's covered in clouds. You feel nervous about your meeting and don't really know what to expect. What if you mess something up, like break an attraction or say the wrong thing? What if Soos thinks you're annoying? What if more time with Mr. Pines makes him realize he doesn't like you as much as he thought he did?

There aren't any cars leaving the shack as you drive towards it and there are only two sitting in the lot as you pull in. As you're walking up the steps, you notice a guy in a golf cart to your right. He looks up at you and yells, "hey dude!" You give him a smile and a wave, realizing that might be Soos. These people are incredibly friendly.

The door gives a high-pitched creak as it opens and you make a mental note to watch out for the splinters it could give you. Wendy is engrossed in a magazine, only looking up when you walk towards her.

"Hey man. Please tell me you're coming to take my shift," she jokes.

You give a laugh, "no, I ran into Mr. Pines earlier and he told me to come by after his tour. Is he around?"

"Yeah, he's around here somewhere. He didn't say anything about a visitor."

Your voice comes out worried, "he said he'd show me around a little to get a feel of the place. And to meet Soos! Was that him in the golf cart?"

"It probably was, but people are tryin' to steal that thing all the time. You may have just witnessed a robbery, dude."

She's obviously joking and you laugh, "I probably did."

"Hey kid!" You turn towards Mr. Pines' voice with a start. He's standing in the doorway of the shop, "come 'ere. I got some stuff to show ya," and he turns, walking right.

You look back at Wendy, "alright, thank you. I'll see you!"

"Sure thing!"

Mr. Pines is so blunt, but you like that. The thought of a boss that just tells you straight what you're doing right or wrong is nice. You follow his footsteps out the door and see him turn the corner around the building. What a strange guy. When you turn just where he did, you see the museum door is open and go inside. You walk in a little and the whole area is dim, it's hard to see all the way across the room.

"WREHHH!" You're scared shitless from a screaming figure that pops out and shakes it's masked face. Mr. Pines gives a laugh from the gut and takes off the mask. "Oh man, you shoulda seen your face!" He gives an exageratted impression.

"Wow, okay," you laugh and smile, "is that an attraction?"

"Nah, just somethin' I keep around," he sets it on the floor against the wall."I gotta show you what to expect outta this place. Mystery! Shenanigans! Can't forget the money. People love these attractions!" He spreads his arms with his back towards you as he walks down the room, you follow and look around. The room is long and there's stuff everywhere which all looks pretty ridiculous. A giant's ear, six pack o' lope, the "Sascrotch".

He stops and faces you, "people come here from all around and more than once. I switch out the sights and make new ones as soon as an idea pops into my head."

"So you make all this stuff up?" "Some a the stuff. Gravity falls is home to creatures you couldn't imagine! How can you deny the truth of-" he looks around, "the Thigh-Clops!"

"You're right... and this horse riding another horse? Amazing."

"That's the spirit," he says with a wink. "Let's get outta here, I've had enough of the museum for one day." He walks past you and out the door, back to the shop. He goes over to Wendy and slams his palm on the counter, "Alright this is Wendy. You've met her and she thinks she's a real teenage rebel. Dontcha? You're just a pain!" She rolls her eyes as he explains how the merchandise comes in and the way you need to stock it.

He pushes off the counter and you walk outside with him. "Here's Soos," he says while walking towards the guy in the golf cart. "This is _____, she's basically Wendy's replacement."

"Oh, dude, I literally saw you walk in. How cool is that?"

The door to the gift shop opens and Wendy comes out. "I'm headin' out Mr. Pines."

"See you never, twerp."

She rolls her eyes again and walks down the drive. Their relationship is cute. It's kind of daughter/father mixed with brother/sister. You wonder if Wendy has a crush on him, despite how much older he is, because you know that at her age you were swooning for anybody who joked around with you the way he did with her.

You tell Mr. Pines your impressions of her, talking about how she seems like a good kid. He nods, "she's great. A little hard to deal with sometimes because she's so stubborn. I promised her dad I'd give 'er a job, though, so here she is. Speaking of her dad, watch out for him, lemme tell ya. He's big as a house and he can crush you with his pinkie."

You talk more with him and Soos about the type of people they get in the shack and around the town. Soos tells you that you need to play laser tag with them some time. Mr. Pines decides he's done being social for the day, "alright kid, it's time to close up shop. We close at 6 on Sundays. Be here tomorrow morning at 8 am, don't forget."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow! It was nice meeting you Soos," you wave at both of them and walk to your car, seeing them go into the building through your rearview.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

You open your eyes to the alarm going off on your phone. You haven't had to use that in a while. It's only 6 am, but you're filled with excitement and you get up without a problem. You walk towards the bathroom and start up the shower, also excited about your first shower in your new bathroom in your new apartment.

It's soothing and calms your nerves. The shack hopefully won't be too busy today, you wouldn't wanna be overwhelmed on your first day and show incapability.

You finish getting ready at 7 and just sit on the floor staring at your phone, too wrapped in thought to click an app and try to focus on something else. It's gonna be interesting seeing how Stan spends his day. Tours probably last half an hour and might run every or every other hour. There's time in between for him to do whatever, so you wonder what it is he would do. Look at that, you have some topics of conversation, you're gonna do fine.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

The shack comes into view and you pull into the lot, parking right next to the gift shop. This seems like a proper employee spot. You walk up the steps and through the door, closing it and standing, hoping Mr. Pines will come greet you and explain your duties for the day.

All you can hear is wind gliding through the old building and the creaks caused by it. Since he lives here you assume he's sleeping and just take a seat on the stool behind the register. You're not exactly sure what to do. There aren't any boxes of stock that need shelving and the register's locked so you can't put money in, not like you know where the money is anyway.

You wait around for maybe 20 minutes when Mr. Pines comes through the door from the outside. It obviously would've made more sense for him to be out of the house because the light was on before you came in and the door was unlocked.

You greet him with a "hey Mr. Pines" as he closes the door. He looks over to you while he's passing, headed towards the house part of the building.

"Hey kid, glad to see ya here on time," he walks up the steps and through the door. It _is_ labeled "Employees Only," but are you allowed in there if that's his house? You ponder on the thought of hanging out with him in there while listening as he walks through the house.

He comes back soon later holding a box of merchandise and sets them in front of you, "you just gotta find the places for these." Walking behind you to get to the register, you watch as he unlocks and fills it. You hesitate for a moment, then ask, "how do tours work around here? How often do you give them?"

"Ehh, I usually start 'em at noon, but sometimes I say to hell with it and start 'em when I want." He finishes with the money, closes the register, faces you, and leans with his palm on the counter and his fist on his hip. "I typically run 'em every hour, but if it's a full house I'll run 'em back to back." He looks down at your hands that have been fiddling with your necklace. "I should probably get you a name tag, huh?"

There's a little drawer underneath the counter that he opens and grabs some masking tape. You give a little laugh and he looks at you before writing your name in black pen. "Here ya go," ripping it off and handing it to you, "a fresh, brand new name tag just for you."

"Thanks," you say through a smile, sticking it on, "top quality."

"That's what you get at the shack! Great quality, great service," he turns towards his body towards the wall and leans against the counter again, "it's a good deal for an amazing visit, don't ya say?"

"Definitely... so, what does your day look like? If Wendy or I are here manning the counter and tours don't start until noon or later, what do you do?"

He cocks his head and looks up, "well, I check if things in the museum are in order. Maybe make a coupla attractions. Get rid of some if I don't like 'em anymore. I'll probably be in here talkin' with you a lot of the time. Wendy wasn't much for talking with me, she'd rather be reading her " _magazines_ " or texting on her " _cellphone_ "."

You grin and he smiles a little, sighing with a shrug, "Since the kids left I don't really have anything to do outside of the shack. That means no distractions, though! Those little troublemakers were always getting me into some kinda business I didn't want anything to do with."

"Who are these kids? You said your niece and nephew?"

"Yes, ma'am, my _grand_ niece and nephew; twins! They were visiting for the summer..." he trails off, looking down and seemingly talking to himself, "the best summer I've had in a long time."

He looks sad, but you don't really know how to console him, "they seem really sweet! I hope I get to meet them at some point."

"You might. They could come back up here for their Christmas break. I'm sure they'd love it but I dunno about their parents."

You two talk more about the twins and some of their summer adventures, when Stan shakes his head, "alright kid, enough about me. Tell me about you. Why're you in Gravity Falls? How's your apartment?" You tell him about how much you love your new place and you're excited to get your furniture, you explain your extinguished school plans and love of the mountains, you talk about your impressions of the town.

You're interrupted mid sentence by the door opening and a family lumbers in. "Mornin' folks!" Stan booms at them. He walks over and gets in their space, asking if they've seen the "mysterious mysteries of the Mystery Shack" and if they're going to buy something.

"We actually haven't seen the museum yet, that's why we're here!" the mom explains to him.

"Well, you folks are in for a real treat! I'll tell ya what, tours start at noon, so I'll let you right in the front when the first tour starts. How's that sound?"

"That sounds great!" She can barely get her words out before he's telling her about his new stock and how the sweaters would looks great on the little ones. Eventually they decide on getting the three kids little mystery boxes. Mr. Pines helps you with the register and shows you how to find certain items in the catalog under the counter. The family leaves and you thank him.

"No problem, kid. If you ever need anything, just ask. If I'm around at least."

You think about how in-their-faces he was with the family and ask with a laugh, "do you ever scare people away?"

He grins, "trust me, there has not been a day in my life where a person hasn't run from me in fear. It's part of the dynamite personality that comes with the," stroking his chin, squinting his eyes, raising his brows, "striking good looks."

You laugh at him and make small conversation, while you stock and between customers, for about an hour. It's starting to get really busy now since it's almost time for the first tour, and you've become pretty good at using the register.

The first tour was the biggest and when the shop was the busiest, but after that it calmed down. Small amounts of people filtered through all day, and Mr. Pines was in the museum for a majority of the time; only showing up after a tour was over and talking with people. You take the moments when there aren't any people to eat or play on your phone.

It's a little after 7 now and people haven't shown up in a while. You go around the room and straighten up, deciding to sit and hang out for a while on your phone when you're finished, since Mr. Pines still isn't around.

He shows up in the shop around 7:30 and places a pop on the counter, holding another in his hand, "you wanna Pitt?"

"Sure! Thank you." He leans his hip on the opposite side of the counter with his arms crossed and asks about your day. You talk like that for a while until he looks at the clock on the wall and sighs, "well kid, it's time for you to head out."

"This day went by fast," you say while you get your things together, "thank you."

"Thank YOU for doing things correctly." You walk around the counter and he follows as you walk out the door, "you were great today."

You turn around after walking down the steps and he's leaning on the post closest to your car, "thanks again. See you tomorrow!"

"Alright kid, I'll see ya." He watches you get in the car and drive down the road. You look up in the rearview to see him walking into the gift shop and closing the door. You're happy about your first day. You had great conversation with Mr. Pines and good experiences with the customers; now you're just hoping that every day could be exactly like this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if you cringed omg
> 
> I was terrified to write this chapter because it was all gonna be conversations with Stan, and I don't wanna butcher him. I finally got it done though ^0^
> 
> I feel like it all went by too fast tho? I can't really tell. I have some cute ideas coming, I hope I can execute them well! 
> 
> I hope you like it! Thanks for reading <3


	5. Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had no idea what to write for a while but this all just flew outta me yesterday lmao

Every day almost was just as great as your first one. There were always good conversations with Mr. Pines and you found out a lot about him in the month you've been there. You learned his habits, like the way he drinks a soda after the shack is basically closed and how he undoes his tie or jacket while drinking it or how he fidgets his fist when trying to get someone to buy something. Typically, he'll come talk to you when all of the tours are over and tell you about the stupidist thing someone fell for that day. He's definitely been needing someone to talk to, someone mature. Mature enough, at least, since you're half his age. Wendy's a bit young, and doesn't like to have long social sessions anyway, and Soos isn't much for deep conversations. You wouldn't call the talks you have with Mr. Pines "deep" exactly, but they're close.

During your time at the shack, you've developed a little crush on Mr. Pines. It shocked you when you first realized that every time you drove to work your heart would beat a little faster, anticipating your day with him. You felt the same thing when the group of people came in from their tour and you knew Mr. Pines would be with them or in the room short after to talk with them. You started to feel anxious whenever he watched you do anything because you were afraid to mess something up. Maybe put an item in the wrong place or get money confused during a transaction. He was definitely a handsome guy when he was younger and he still had a nice, rugged look, but your attraction to him was more emotional than physical. He was bitter, but in a humourous way, and he had a good sense of humor. He was a kind person, as well. Never once has he been mean to someone just because. You could say he was crude, not caring if he annoyed someone or bothered them. You guess that's just part of the charm.

Sometimes you wonder if he has a thing for you too. He never really flirted, but you guessed that was just because you're so young. He's flirted with multiple women that have come through the shack, most of them much older than you. It didn't really seem like he had a specific type, so you were happy about that. Along with the small amount of jealousy you'd feel whenever he gave extra attention to an attractive customer, he also gave you butterflies at little things he did. He would put his hand somewhere on your back when he was passing behind you at the register, sometimes your hands touched when you gave eachother something, he would watch every night as you got in your car and drove away, sometimes he would see a cut or bruise and touch it to joke around. Just the littlest things and they made you weak.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You're weary walking into the gift shop, looking around before actually stepping anywhere. You close the door quietly and right as you turn around, Mr. Pines jumps up from behind the counter, "RAHH!"

You scream and laugh as he jumps over the counter and runs up to you with the same mask he used to scare you a couple months ago. You scrunch your body up and he looms over you.

"Stop!" You try to pull the mask off him while he's swatting your hands away.

You hold your hands to your chest and he takes the mask off, "I scared you good, kid. And for the second time!"

"Whatever," smiling and looking down as you pass him. You make an attempt to grab it again but he holds on and pushes you away.

You can see him watching you going to sit and the anxious feeling is back. _Please don't trip on the seat. Please don't trip on the seat._

When you sit he walks over and leans his crossed arms on the counter. You look at each other before you ask, "what do you have planned for tonight?"

"I'm just gonna scare the daylights outta some kids. That's my specialty! Halloween is when Mr. Mystery thrives," he gives you a wink. "You got any plans?"

"I might just hand out candy and stuff," he looks down at your fiddling fingers, "I'm excited to see what Halloween's like here."

"This town's fulla lumps, but they do alright. Summerween's worse. That's why I gotta scare people," he slams his palms down, "to keep it exciting!" He pauses, squinting, "you know... you could stay here tonight and hand out the candy for me. I need a helping hand so I can get a jump on those little brats."

Your face gets hot and you try to hide it by acting like you're thinking, chin on fist. You give a shrug and smile, "I don't know, I might."

"Kids love comin' to the shack, you'll get twice as many than in your dingy little apartment."

"Oh really? With your old ass parading around here scaring the hell out of them?"

"WHOA! Too harsh and too real. I'll have you know the shack is popular this time of the year. People wanna get their spooks and that's what we got. Whaddya say?"

You actually give some thought, wanting to spend time with Mr. Pines but also wanting to experience Halloween at your apartment. Maybe you won't get that many kids, like he says. Imagine anticipating this night for a week and getting 10 kids, or less. You sigh, "alright, I'll hang out here. But I'm gonna go get my candy when my shift's over."

"Good choice, kid! You're gonna have a blast tonight."

You talk with him for another hour, about some of the scare tactics he's used during Summerweens and Halloweens in the past and what you've done for your Halloweens. As customer's start arriving he goes out to scare them before they even get up the steps, and since there aren't any tours today he has hours to do it.

The shop is surprisingly busier than you thought, thanks to the Halloween merch Mr. Pines was selling. People were eating this stuff up. It's all such cliche spooky garbage and the candy he has is cheap. Do these people have low standards or do they think this stuff is quality?

Throughout the day you hear yells from Mr. Pines and screams from his victims, some looking terrified and some laughing as they walk in. By the end of your shift you've gone through all boxes of the Halloween stock and sold almost everything. It's 5 now, and you check out the last person in the store, Mr. Pines making sure to scare them as they leave.

"That was a great day," he tells you as he stands and looks around, "and look at all the empty spaces on these shelves! The people love my junk!"

"You went through all your boxes of stock!"

He grins and holds onto the lapels of his jacket, like some kind of old time tycoon. "I don't see how you do it, Mr. Pines, but you could sell anything."

His smile fades and he looks over at you, "it wasn't always this easy." He walks over to the counter, "I've got sales in my veins, but it's not easy bein' a salesman."

You want to ask him more, but he seems a little troubled with the subject. "Well, it's easy now and you're doing a great job. I'd probably buy your stuff if I knew it wasn't complete shit."

His grin comes back, "don't ya got candy to get?"

"Right, I'll go ahead and go," you gather your things and head towards the door, "would you want me to, like, bring food or anything?"

He lifts his brows, "you don't gotta do that, kid."

"Okay... I might," you smile at him and walk out the door. On a day when you're leaving at an earlier time and even coming back, he still watches you as you drive down the road.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You grab the candy you put in a bowl this morning and dump it in a plastic bag. As you drive back to the shack, you see kids already out trick-or-treating down main street. It's barely 5:30 and the sun hasn't even gone down yet. This town really loves Halloween for whatever reason. You love Halloween too, but a second Halloween in summer and then the amount of decorating on houses and businesses is overboard.

You decide to surprise Mr. Pines with some food anyway, so you stop at the gas station. You step in the building and immediately don't know what to get him. You make rounds in the store and start wondering if you should just go to a fast food place. You finally make up your mind and buy him some taquitos, chips, and a drink, getting chips and a drink for yourself.

There's kids walking towards the shack as you drive down the road. You park in the usual spot next to the gift shop, but instead of going in you walk past it and up the stairs on the other side. You keep thinking Mr. Pines is going to jump up, so you've got your eyes peeled for anything suspicious. You make it to the porch unscathed and ring the bell. Mr. Pines answers in his mask, but doesn't try to scare you.

"Trick-or-treat!"

"'Bout time, I thought you weren't comin'."

You walk past him and stand as he closes the door, "well, I thought you were gonna try and scare me." The house is worn down and definitely matches the outside. There are stairs in front of you and you can see into the living room.

"Nah, I thought I've tortured you enough."

"You've scarred me past my limits." He's wearing a suit, like usual, but the undershirt and tie are black, unlike usual. It goes well with the mask, which is balancing between his hand and the floor. "I brought my candy, and I brought some food."

"Oh... thanks, kid. What'd ya get?"

"Just some gas station stuff. I walked in and regretted it right away, I had no idea what to get you," laughing and watching him smile, "I just got you tequitos and stuff." You cross your arms.

He walks up to you, "can I see?"

"Sure!" You hold the bag in front of you, but he doesn't take it. Instead he takes the other handle and opens it, rummaging through. You bend over the bag with him, "here's the drink I got for you, and the chips. The taquitos are yours too."

The doorbell rings and he asks you to get it while he puts the food away. You open the door to the two little boys you saw coming up the road and give them their candy. One asks, "hey, where's the old man? He's not gonna scare anybody this year?"

"He is, he's just busy!" You watch them scamper off and look to see if more kids were coming. You turn around after closing the door and see Mr. Pines leaning against the door frame that leads into the living room, watching you. "Well, are you gonna scare anybody?" You start to pour your candy in with his, which was a bunch of cheap knock off stuff. Good thing you got the good stuff.

"I'd be crazy not to. The kids have been super annoying this year."

You finish with the candy as the doorbell rings again. This time he gets it and scares the kids shitless. They leave and he hides behind some junk off to the right, preparing himself for anymore people. He lets some people pass him, then scares them as they leave, but others he scares right away and they run off. At around 8, the kids thin out, and he decides to retire his hiding position. He gets up, stretching and cracking his bones. "God, I am old," he says as he walks past you.

You both sit on the stairs and talk, eat your food, and take turns giving out candy until people stopped coming entirely around 9. After 20 minutes without a trick-or-treater, Stan gets up and locks the door. He walks into the living room and you follow behind him.

He takes off his jacket and rolls up his sleeves while you find the trash can in the kitchen. You come back with he's in the reclining chair, flipping channels, and patting the skull next to him. He looks good in black.

"You really need to get more furniture," you say as you sit.

"I don't got a use for it, so I don't need it."

"That's fair... you know, I've never been in your house before. It's kinda weird."

You look down and see something in the eye of the skull, checking to see what it is before grabbing it. You bend over and pull out a pair of brass knuckles. Mr. Pines is looking down at you as you look up and ask, "what the hell are these for?"

"For kicking ass, kid, and I've kicked a lot of ass with these puppies." He takes them from you and puts them on, making fists and punching the air.

"I'd love to see you fight someone off with those things, damn." _Especially with what you're wearing._

He smiles down at you, "you like 'em, huh?"

"I do," you say and reach for his hands, holding onto one while feeling the knuckles and seeing how they work, "can I try them on?"

"Sure." He pulls one off, grabs your hand, and slides the knuckles down your fingers. He hasn't grabbed your hand like this before, and it gives you a little shiver. His hands are so big that the knuckles just flop all over the place.

"Oh yeah, I'm ready," you say, trying to make a fist and play punch him in the arm as he laughs at you. "I'd love to have a pair of my own, they're so cool."

"They're a good thing to have. You should definitely get your own. There's a good pawnshop downtown that sells stuff like this. I'll show you sometime."

"That'd be cool." He grabs your arm and takes the knuckles off, putting them on the floor next to him and resting back into his recliner.

You hang out with him for about ten minutes and talk about how stupid the movies in this town are, getting tired you stand to leave, "I think I'm gonna head out."

He gets up and follows you out the door and off the porch, "tonight was fun Mr. Pines."

"Go ahead and call me Stan," he tells you as you're close to the gift shop, "I think it'd be something more comfortable." He sits on the steps.

"Okay, cool!" You wave and turn, jogging to your car and driving off. You can't stop thinking about those knuckles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dialogue kills me.......it kills me
> 
> i had the knuckles idea and thought i might as well put them in now :))
> 
> If you read it, I hope you like it! Sorry if it's not great, at least the ideas are cute!


	6. Knuckles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more stan and knuckles ( ͡o ͜ʖ ͡o)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kind words!! I wasn't sure about how I was feeling with this fic, but I got a flood of good feedback! <3
> 
> In the story, it's about mid-November now. You got to Gravity Falls at the beginning of September, so you've been there for around two months.

Halloween night was amazing. There's still butterflies in your stomach and it was more than two weeks ago. The touch of Stan's hand still lingered on yours and the thought of him fighting off someone to protect you wouldn't leave your mind, along with other things. It felt so dirty to think of him in ways that weren't professional or friendly, but he had an aura that drove you crazy.

Spending time with him at work wasn't awkward after that night, nothing changed except him switching from Mr. Pines to Stan, which was a clear sign that he wanted a different kind of relationship with you. Right? He hasn't really acted much different since then, so maybe he just sees you as more of an equal than as his young employee. Has he stopped calling you kid?

"Hey!" Stan slams his hand on the counter, making you flinch, "what are ya thinkin' about that's more important than work?"

"Sorry," you smile, "there's just not much work. It's been really slow today." You can feel your heart speeding up.

"You're right," he glances around at the empty room and sighs, "Thursdays are never my strongest. How about closin' the place early?"

Your stomach drops a little; you wanted to spend more time with him. He's been in the museum all day. "If you feel like it. It's only four, though, are you sure?"

"Yeah, I think so. Haven't seen anybody in over half an hour."

"Alright, well... I'll head out," you say as you slowly grab your things.

He takes in a breath as if to say something and pauses, "hey. How about goin' to get them knuckles like we talked about?"

"Really?" You give him a big grin. _Is this too obvious? Do you look too eager?_

He beams at you, "sure thing! You gotta protect yourself, you know. What if you get into a fight with one-a the locals? They know how to handle little city slicks like you."

You laugh, "okay, let's go," walking around the counter. He opens the door, letting you out first then locking it.

You walk down the steps and turn to face him, "how are we gonna get there?"

"I could drive, if it doesn't bother you," he says, stepping down next to you.

"That's fine." You walk around the building and see the old car.

"Yep, the ol' Stanmobile," he tugs on his lapels and gives you a sarcastic sultry look as you walk around to the passenger seat, "this baby's gotten me through bad times and... good times. If you know what I mean."

You smile back at him as he unlocks the doors, "I get it, perv."

He's flipping through the radio as he lets the car warm up. You take this time to take in as much as you can, and imagine what kind of women he's had in here. Stan settles on a channel with a commercial break and starts the drive into town. A song by Dion and the Belmonts comes on, making you perk up.

"Oh, I love Dion. Have you listened to them before?"

"Sure have. They played 'em at a diner I used to go in the 70's. It's funny, it was 50's themed, but they'd play this song almost every time I was in there. This song's from the 60's!" He slaps his thigh and gives a laugh, making you laugh with him.

"You know, I don't know much about you," you tell him, "like your past or even what you're interested in."

He glances at you and back at the road, looking uncomfortable, "all ya need to know about my life is this song. Listen," he says, reaching for the volume.

_They call me the wanderer_

_Yeah, the wanderer_

_I roam around, around, around, around_

_Oh well, there's Flo on my left and there's Mary on my right_

_And Janie is the girl that I'll be with tonight_

Okay, you get why he relates to it. You roll your eyes.

_'Cause I'm a wanderer_

_Yeah, a wanderer_

_I roam around, around, around, around_

_Oh well, I roam from town to town_

_I go through life without a care_

_And I'm as happy as a clown_

_I with my two fists of iron and I'm going nowhere_

Yup.

By the end of the song you're on the main road. "It's a good song. Why do you think it relates to you? Because of all the _ladies_?" You nudge his shoulder with your finger and he smiles.

"You betchyer ass. That guy's gettin' trim on the daily and moving to new places for some new hunnies. If that ain't me then I don't know what is."

"Oh yeah," you say as he pulls into the pawn shop parking lot, "that definitely explains the multiple years you've spent conning the people of Gravity Falls in your shack."

He parks and turns to look at you, "you gotta settle down somewhere hunny. Unless ya wanna end up like Dion, going from city to city as an old man tryna find a gig for your shitty blues music."

You gasp a laugh, "rude! His music now isn't that bad. I mean, I haven't listened to it, but I'm sure it's fine."

"Alright, keep tellin' yerself that." He steps out of the car, slamming the door, "let's get you those knuckles just in case Dion comes to town," you walk next to him and he holds the shop door open for you, "we can kick his ass together."

He laughs with you and you follow him up to the counter. "The little lady here needs a pair-a brass knuckles," he tells the clerk.

"Yessir, they're right over here." He walks you to the end of the room and starts pulling some out of the display case.

"Listen, bud," Stan tells him, "she don't want a dainty pair, okay? She needs a solid product. Give us some different ones."

The clerk pulls out multiple pairs that you try on while Stan tells you what to look for. You put one on and he puts his hand over your fist, squeezing, "see, does that hurt?"

"Not really," you say, flustered.

"That's somethin' you gotta watch out for. If it hurts or if you can't make a full fist, then they're too big. Lemme see your fist."

You make one and he turns your hand around, inspecting it and checking to see if it's too big or too small, "it feels alright? You like 'em?"

"Yeah, they feel fine," he watches you move your fingers around, "I like them."

"How much?" he asks the clerk.

"40 for both."

He gets angry and refuses the price, saying his money's being stolen and mentioning how respected in town he is. The lowest the clerk will go is $15, which is cheap enough. You bring out your wallet, but Stan pushes it down, "I got this, doll."

You lower your voice, "no, Stan, you don't have to buy these for me. I'll buy them."

He tries to pull out his own wallet, but you grab it and put it in your bag. You take out a 20 and hand it to the clerk, who looks fed up with everything by now. You get your change, smile at Stan, and walk out the door with him behind you.

The knuckles are on your hand before getting in the car and you give little jabs to the air, giving one to Stan's arm when you're both seated in the car.

"How dangerous are these things?" You ask as you lightly punch your palm.

"Very dangerous," he says, watching you, "they can be fatal, so be careful."

"Wow, cool."

"Now I just gotta show you how to use 'em... I used to be a boxer, ya know."

You look at him, surprised he's sharing something like that with you, "did you really? I imagined you being in some kind of sport, like football or something. Were you any good?"

"Oh yeah, I was kickin' ass all along the east coast in my prime. People were scared shitless to go up against Stan Pines! Ain't a single person who wanted to fight me."

"I bet you were awesome," you grin at him, excited to hear more. "When exactly was your prime? Was it a high school thing?"

"Well," he looked down at the steering wheel, hesitant, "my pops got me into it when I was about 12, then I just kinda stayed with it. I wasn't on any teams at school, though. It was a recreational thing. That's why I was so bad in school, my brain got beat around one too many times." He gives a little laugh. "Sometimes I would skip class for a fight. I was probably 18 when I stopped tournaments. After that I just did occasional street stuff for money."

You can't believe you're hearing this from him. He's been such a closed guy with his past, and now you're just trying to take everything in. You imagine a young Stan in a ring and a young Stan winning a fight on the street. "That's seriously amazing. Did you stop flat out or did it just fade away?"

"Nah, I just got into other things when I was in my 20's. I've been running the shack for so long, I can't be getting into fights and ruinin' my image, now can I?"

"I guess not, huh?"

"Anyway... let's go get some food. Whaddya feelin'?"

"That sounds good. I don't really care, you pick." You hate the abrupt ending to his story. You want to hear so much more, and you know there was more to his life, but he looked distressed while telling it, so you don't pressure him.

Stan took off down main street, "is the diner okay with you?"

"Yeah!"

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The diner's surprisingly busy for a weekday evening, with almost every seat taken except for a couple of booths.

"Oooo, hello cuties!" Lazy Susan greets both of you as you're walking to a booth, "I'll be with you in a minute!"

"Take yer time, toots!" Stan takes a seat at a booth, facing the door, and you take the seat facing the back.

You lean over the table a little, just in case he can't hear you over the noise, and ask, "so are you really gonna show me how to use the knuckles?"

He leans in with you, "I sure am. I'll show you right after this if yer up for it. There's some techniques I gotta show you."

"Good, I'm excited." Susan interrupts you and places a mug in front of Stan, "you gonna have coffee this evening, hot shot?"

"You know me too well, sugar. Fix me up!" She pours him a cup and you tell her you'd just like some water. She saunters off as you watch him mix in a couple sugars and take a drink, making eye contact with him through his swig. He sets the cup down and puts his arms on the table, leaning forward, "so doll, are you gonna give me my wallet back or what?"

You smile at him without saying anything. He has a little squint in his eye as he watches you, "I'll come get it."

Your heart starts going crazy. Is he flirting? He scoots toward the end of the booth, about to leave the table, "are you gonna hand it over?"

You shrug and can't hold back a huge grin, probably blushing. He gets up while still hunched and holding the table as he comes to your bench. You hide your bag behind your body, laughing, as he puts all his weight on you trying to reach for it. Every time he gets a hold of it, you grab it back and lay down farther into the seat. "Yer makin' a scene, hun," he says and snatches your bag, hurrying back to his bench as you try to grab onto his jacket.

"The person who practically yells across the diner every time he enters it is scared of making a scene?" You ask him, out of breath. You look around and notice people staring, but for once you don't really mind. You don't feel nervous or self conscious, even after doing something that stupid in a crowded place.

"Alright, let's see what we got here," he says as he takes his wallet out and rummages through your bag. He looks for a matter of seconds before saying, "ain't got much. Why do ya carry around such a big bag if there ain't anything in here?"

"It's for what could potentially go in there. You gotta prepare."

He smiles at you and slides the bag over. Before he could say anything, Susan comes over and places your water on the table. "Well, now that that's over, what do you two want?"

You both order and he watches as you place your bag back next to you. "Since I'm allowing you to have your wallet back, we have to agree that we're both paying."

"HA! _Allowing_. Right." He puts his arm across the bench behind him, "We can both pay, I don't got a problem with that."

"Okay good," you take a sip of your water and watch some people at the counter, now minding their business. You smile thinking about what just happened.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's almost 6 by the time you leave the diner and get back to the shack. "Damn winter. It's dark already look at this. I hate winters here," he tells you while waiting for the car to warm up. "Fuckin' snow gets everywhere. Every inch of this town'll be covered, just wait." He shakes his head in exasperation as he slams his door shut.

"Awesome, you're heated up for showing me how to kick ass. Let's go."

"I'm gonna hypothetically kick the shit outta winter."

He parks in the usual spot when you get back to the shack and leads you to the museum entrance, under the lamp. You take the knuckles out, set your bag down, and slip them on yours fingers. You shake your hands around and squeeze to test them.

"They feelin' okay?" He asks as he takes his jacket off, placing it on your bag, and undoes his tie.

"Yeah, they feel pretty good. They're a little heavy."

You watch as he rolls his sleeves to his elbow, "that's good. It'll make your arms stronger the more you practice with them." He claps and rubs his hands together, getting closer. He holds them up with his palms facing you, "punch me."

"Really? Your bare palm?"

"Sure. I don't got any punch mitts. Just don't give everything you have, I have brittle old man hands."

You laugh and hesitantly punch him. "Come on, you can hit harder than that."

"I don't wanna hurt you, Stan," throwing your arms up.

"It's not gonna hurt me!" He starts slamming his palms on your fists.

"Okay!" You put your forearm on his chest and push him away. He laughs, holding his hands out again. You give him a harder punch, "there ya go," and then alternate hands after each one.

"Alright, good! I now know that you can punch stuff," he says as he rubs on his hands. He grabs hold of your hand, touching the knuckles. "You want them about right here," he tells you as he places them in the right position,"you could break yer wrist punching straight on with these things. The impact'll travel from your palm," placing his finger on the side of your fist and dragging it to your wrist, "right down to yer wrist." You make eye contact with him and he drops your hand. "That's why you always gotta punch with yer fingers when you're wearin' 'em. Basically curve yer wrist down and let the knuckles do the work."

You turn your wrist down slightly to show him, "like that. The impact from the palm piece'll travel into your palm and strengthen your arm, not hurt your wrist." He crosses his arms, "now listen. You can't be gettin' these things out for any ol' fight. They're dangerous. Only take 'em out when you feel yer in danger. One blow could kill someone. If you're fighting and you don't wanna seriously hurt anybody, don't put everything you have into the punch. It's a second weapon along with your fist and is giving you more power. You can get good results with a lighter punch."

He shows you how to punch with the newly positioned knuckles and has you practice on the shack a little. After a couple hard punches, he says, "alright, this thing's taken enough abuse," patting the building, "yer gonna take it down."

He brings up his hand for a high five and you place your fist in it. He holds onto your hand, giving it a little shake, and smiles down at you, "you did some good work today, hun."

"Thank you, and thanks for showing me everything."

"No problem," he drops your hand and you walk over to the steps, grabbing his jacket, handing it to him, then grabbing your bag.

"I'm gonna go ahead and go now. Thank you again," you say as he walks you to your car.

"Over the next couple-a weeks I'll practice with ya some more. You're gonna become a real expert with those puppies." He walks past your car as you unlock it and onto the gift shop porch.

"Cool, I can't wait," you smile at each other and say goodbye. He watches as you drive down the road as you think about everything you found out about him today. He told you so much and it's all running through your head. He used to box, he lived on the east coast, which you guessed anyway because of his accent, he travelled around before settling in Gravity Falls, he wasn't a great student in school. With everything you found out comes questions about his family and his 20's and why or how he even started the shack. He didn't seem to like sharing about himself, and you couldn't tell why. It could just be a little self concious thing, which seemed unlikely considering his personality. Maybe someday you'll be close enough with him so he feels comfortable actually sharing stuff with you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so I was listening to Dion and the Belmonts about a week ago, kinda reminiscing because I loved them a couple years ago, and I tried to find that song that I thought was on the Fallout 4 commercial (I heard it and was like it's them it's gotta be). I found it (The Wanderer - technically a song just by Dion) and listened to the lyrics, and I was like SHIT BOI is that not Stan??? it fits him to a tee. someone needs to make a gifset of him with the lyrics asap
> 
> disclaimer pls don't kick my ass dion
> 
> idk anything about knuckles or punching and i legit could not stop thinking about knuckles the echidna through this whole thing 
> 
> I hope you like it!! Thank you for reading <3 I'll do a Christmas chapter soon, which I'm really excited about!


	7. Employee Picnic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's not much going on in this one, just lots of talking with Stan and Soos! Mostly Stan :)

For a week after getting the knuckles, Stan showed you techniques every day. He showed you proper ways to punch and the best places to hit someone if they were a serious threat. You started to practice on a big tree that was around the back of the shack, so he would bring out his own pair and hit the tree with you as he demonstrated. It made both of you laugh every time because the sight of two people kicking the shit out of a tree was hilarious.

"Hey dude," Soos interrupts your thought, "I was thinkin', would you wanna have an employee picnic?"

The idea of a gathering makes you nervous, but it is with only a couple of people, and it's more time with Stan. "Maybe! When is it?"

"I was thinking on Sunday. I don't know what Mr. Pines will say, though. He's never a good sport when it comes to stuff like that."

"I'll think about it, it sounds fun. Is it just gonna be you, me, Wendy, and Stan?"

"Sure is, dude. I'll ask Mr. Pines about it after the tour," he says as he leaves.

An employee picnic with such a small staff seemed a little strange. You'd hate to spend time with all of them together because of how close they are. You've only been here for two months and you've barely seen Wendy since your first days, they've all known each other for so long. You'd just be an intrusion.

The tour group bustles in and starts rummaging through the fresh stock you just put out. The one thing that makes you tick from this job is how sloppy and reckless the customers are. They'll rearrange everything and stuff shirts they weren't even supposed to try on back on top of the hanging shirts or on shelves. For some reason, they didn't know how to use the vending machine either. You'd always have to help them as if they've never used one before.

"Excuse me," a woman huffs as you're busy with someone else on the register, "this book is way too expensive. $50 for such cheap advice and tricks!" She slams it on the counter and crosses her arms.

You were about to talk her into buying it when Stan slams his palm on the book, standing between her and the line to the register. "Well, ma'am, it's a great value!" Your knight in shining armor. He goes off on some kind of rant about how true the legends in the book are, throwing in some flirtatious blabber. She eventually decides to buy it and touches his arm as she calls him cute names. You're shocked that his seduction actually worked.

Once she was checked out, she left with a sway in her step. Stan leans against the counter with his arms crossed and watches her, making you feel a massive amount of jealousy. "Wow Stan, was she seriously swooning over you? Did you succeed?"

"I'm tellin' ya, hun, this old man's got game." He has a smirk on his face when he turns around and you smile at him, trying to give a convincing not-jealous smile as you sit in the stool.

"Anyway," you lean your arms on the counter, "did Soos tell you about the picnic?"

"He did and I think it's a terrible idea. I have to spend more time with the two of those dweebs than necessary? I don't think so. He can still have the picnic, but I dunno if I'm gonna go." Was the way he didn't include you as a dweeb because he wants to spend time with you or because he doesn't think you're invited?

"I think it'd be fun for you guys!"

He scrunches his brow, "well aren't you goin'?"

"Soos invited me, but I don't know if I'm gonna go either. Gatherings aren't really my thing."

"Alright, let's make a deal," he sighs,"if you go, I go. You're the only person runnin' around here I can stand to have a conversation with and as much as I hate the idea, I don't want Soos' plans to be ruined."

You beam at that, happy that he actually said he enjoys your company. "It's a deal, but you don't have to go if you don't want. I'll go regardless if it means that much to Soos."

"Well now yer makin' me feel guilty. I'm goin', I'm goin'... Wanna make a bet?"

"On what?"

"I bet $5 that Wendy ain't gonna show up. She'd never go to something like this."

"Alright, I'll take your bet. She'd love to spend time with an old coot and two people almost 10 years older than her."

He smiles and lightly pounds his fist on your hand that was resting on the counter. "Why dontcha get this place cleaned up." He walks back out the door, probably to tell Soos the picnic plans. Hopefully it'll go fine. Wendy and Soos both seem to like you, and Stan obviously wants you there. You smile as you tidy up, thinking about what he said and the way he messed with your hand. You also think about what you're going to wear on Sunday. Since you started this little crush on Stan, you've become more particular with your clothing. You find yourself asking if he would like this shirt or that necklace and trying to match clothes with him in mind. You realized this was ridiculous and he definitely doesn't care, but you couldn't stop yourself from looking good for him.

You wear jeans and t-shirts for this job, so maybe you could wear something pretty? You weren't gonna be at work and he hasn't seen you in anything else, so this is your chance. Maybe a nice skirt/sweater combo or a dress and cardigan.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soos planned the picnic for 3 pm, so you get there about 10 minutes early. There aren't any cars in the parking lot, so the shack must be closed. It's sweet that Stan closed up early just for Soos. He's so kind to the people he cares about, you don't even think he realizes it.

You walk to the front door of the house and see the two of them sitting at a picnic table behind some trees. You start feeling self concious as you get close to them, since they haven't seen you in clothes like this. You decided to wear the dress and just hoped you looked good. As you walk up you pretend to be preoccupied with the foil on the brownies you brought. "There she is," you hear Stan say, smiling at him when you look up.

"Whoa, dude! You look so fancy!"

"Thank you!" You give a laugh and place the brownies in the middle of the table. You take a seat next to Stan, smoothing the back of your dress as you sit. "No Wendy?"

"Nah, she skipped outta the plans a couple hours ago. Right when I closed up she was gone." He was giving you a sarcastic innocent look with his eyebrows raised.

You smile, dig through your bag, and grab your wallet. You hand him a 5, "here ya go, old man."

He takes it and stuffs it in his jacket, "I knew that kid wasn't gonna spend the time she has away from school AND work with us."

"Yeah, dude, I expected it too," Soos says as he brings out some food and sets the table. "I wish she would've stuck around."

"It _is_ a little rude," you say with disappointment. Soos was pretty excited about this and you wanted to talk more with her; about Stan mostly. Maybe she knows some stuff that you don't.

"What'd ya bring, hun?" Stan asks and looks at you with soft eyes and a soft smile. Your heart speeds up, recognizing that type of gaze. It's one where you're reluctant to look at someone because you're nervous or cautious that your glance will reveal how you feel. Is he crushing on you?

"I thought I'd make some brownies for you guys," you give a little laugh and prop your elbows on the table, looking at your fingers. You can feel Stan watching you, but you're too embarrassed to look away.

"I bet their good, dude," Soos says as he brings out the last of the food. You were so distracted with how you were going to present yourself the past couple of days that you forgot the real reason why you were nervous about this; the food. You've always been anxious about grabbing food on your own in front of people, like buffets.

Soos gets out the plates and asks, "so what do you want?"

"Oh, I don't care. A little bit of everything, I guess." You watch him put small amounts of food on your plate, relieved that you didn't have to grab the food yourself.

"Here ya go, dude." You grab the plate from him, "thank you, Soos."

He grabs another plate, "what about you Mr. Pines?"

Stan snatches it from him, "I can get my own food," then packs a huge pile on his plate.

Soos ignores his crankiness and starts getting his food. "I hope you guys like everything. My abuelita made all of this especially for today." He sets his plate down and looks at you, "would you mind me bringing some of your brownies home for her? She'd love them!"

"I wouldn't mind, you can take whatever's left!"

"Awesome!"

You take a bite as he closes his eyes and bends his head down. You close your mouth and rest your arm on the table, looking over at Stan to see if he's doing the same. He's grinning at you with his eyebrows raised, and you smile at him. You look at Soos, waiting. He opens his eyes and whispers "amen," then digs in.

"Abuelita was so excited about making food for us! She was about to hop in the car with me when I left. She loves watching people eat her food!"

"She should've come!" you tell him. "I haven't met her before, she sounds nice."

"Yeah, dude, I regret not inviting her now."

Stan shakes his head vigorously and swallows his food, "I don't want more old people trampin' around here unless they're buyin' my stuff." He takes a another huge bite and you laugh at him.

"You're gross." He looks over at you with an exaggerated frown. "And rude."

He swallows, "excuse me, little miss priss, but when you reach a certain age, you don't want old people comin' around and rubbin' their old on ya. And I'm a **man**. I need big portions of food, sweetums." He stuffs his face while remaining eye contact with you. You look away with a fake grimace.

"So Mr. Pines, did you ever call that woman back?"

You look up at Soos with confusion and look at Stan, who's scrunching his brow at him.

Your eyes widen, "that lady who actually fell for your flirting?!"

"Yes, that lady who was seduced by my chivalry!" He crosses his arms defensively, "she called ME the next day, wanted to take ME out. I haven't given her an answer, but you know what," he slams his palm down, "I'm going to now! I'm gonna give her a big, fat yes because my little twerp cashier thinks I can't get any."

You laugh with Soos, secretly hiding your jealousy. She _was_ a beautiful woman, and Stan did actually deserve to spend time with someone his age that he could get close with.

He slams both his hands down and gets up, walking away from the table. "Where ya goin'?" you ask as you go after him with Soos.

"I'm callin' that lady!" He stomps up the steps and slams the front door open. He grabs the phone and dials the number that was sitting next to it. He even had the number ready for if he was going to call...

You cross your arms and smirk at him. "It's been a while since this happened," Soos tells you.

You listen as the phone rings, hoping she won't pick up. You hear a quiet, monotone "hello".

"Hey, toots, it's Stan Pines." Her tone of voice changes to flirtatious, but her words are incoherent.

"Yeah, doll, I was thinkin' about what you said," he squints at you, "how about I take you out some time? My treat."

She squeals and tells him plans as he smiles with triumph, you roll your eyes. You feel jealous by what he's doing, but it wasn't from the heart. He doesn't actually want to spend time with her, he's just mocking you and asking her out of spite.

"Sure thing, tomorrow evening sounds perfect. See ya, toots." He hangs up and grins.

You stare at him with your arms still crossed and your eyes squinted. You keep your smile as he walks past you, but once his and Soos' backs are turned, you lose it. You know that this is a fake little theatric, but what if he grows fond of her? What if he stops talking with you in favor of his conversations with her?

You sit in the same places once you get to the table, "how about some brownies?" Stan asks.

He grabs a couple, hands them to you, then you hand them to Soos. "Congratulations, old man. Are you nervous?"

He smiles as he looks over, "course not, I've had plenty-a women."

You make your voice swoon, "yes, but she's _beautiful_ and _mature_ , and apparently the first in a while."

"Yeah, well, I can hold my own. I'll show 'er a good time."

"Hey, I don't doubt anything. I'm sure you'll do fine." You're looking down at your brownie and can see him glance at you.

"I bet you'll do good too, Mr. Pines! I can't wait to hear about it. And Ashley, these brownies are amazing! Abuelita will love them!"

"I hope she does! I could bake for her sometimes, if that's okay."

"She would so happy if you did that!" You explain to him things that you like to make, asking if his grandma would like them. He then starts telling you about what his FCLORP group has been doing, "you should join, dude!"

"Nah, I'm not really into that kinda stuff. I could join you for lasertag, though! I remember you saying something about that."

"Oh yeah! We should totally play! Would you wanna go Mr. Pines?"

He seemed zoned out, "I guess so. There's one thing I actually enjoy in your nerd life, Soos, and that's laser tag."

"Awesome! Wendy loves it too, so that could be something for all of us! Maybe we can go when Mabel and Dipper come up for their winter break."

He rubs his hand under his chin, "that's a pretty good idea. The next time I talk to them I'll bring it up."

You talk more about laser tag and how crazy their last experience was. That leads to Soos explaining what he and the kids had gotten into during the summer. These are the most eccentric people you've ever met. Not one person in this town has been the same as the next.

"Well, dudes, I'm gonna have to go now. Abuelita and the internet is waiting."

"Okay, it was fun!"

"It was! We definitely have to do this again sometime." He gathers the rest of the food, the tuperware, and the brownies, waving as he walks away, "see you guys tomorrow!"

You turn back to Stan, "should I go too?"

He shrugged, making a shrug face, "you don't gotta. Like I said, you're the best to talk to around here."

"Well, I liked talking with Soos like that. He's really nice, obviously."

"He's a good kid. A little annoying sometimes, but I can deal with it."

"You say that about everyone," you say as you watch him unbutton his jacket, revealing his stomach.

"Aren'tcha cold, hun?"

You raise your eyebrows, "no, I'm good." Was he going to offer you his jacket if you said yes? "I've got my cardigan, and leggings," you rub up and down your legs.

"You do look really fancy today. Showin' off for Soos, huh?"

"No!" you laugh, "he has Melody!"

"You're right, you're right. So, he has Melody, and I have a hot mama waiting for me tomorrow, who does _____ have? I never hear ya talkin' about anybody."

"That's because there is nobody. I'm sure you noticed, but there's not much selection in this town. Plus the only place I frequent is the shack, and it's just you and Soos there, so again, not much selection."

"I see some youngin's chattin' ya up sometimes at the register. Why don't you ever go for one-a them?"

"Why you harassing me? You trying to be a matchmaker?" you joke.

He gives a big shrug, lifting his body, "hey man, I was just askin'!"

There was an occasional guy who'd stop and talk with you a little if business was slow, but it was just casual stuff. "Casual conversation doesn't always warrant a date. There's only been like two guys anyway."

"I think ya need to start seein' somebody."

You scrunch your face, "why? I've only been here two months, gimme a break."

"Alright! You need to get yer rocks off somehow, dontcha?" He stands, "anyway, I'm gonna get a Pitt, you want one?"

"No thanks." He walks behind you and pokes you above your bra, right on the spine, making you flinch away from him and laugh. You watch him walk over to the vending machine. Why does he wanna know if you're seeing someone so bad? Maybe he's trying to see if you're available. You guess you can only hope.

Before he comes back, you get out your phone so it wouldn't be awkward. As he walks behind you, he pokes your spine under your bra. You curve forward, "ow, man, that one hurt!" You laugh and rub your back.

"Ya textin' yer boyfriend?"

"Yes and I'm asking him to come save me."

"What, like I'm holdin' ya hostage." He takes a swig of the pop and places it in front of you, "here."

"Thanks," you grab it and take a small drink, giving it back. This exchange gives you a weird feeling. It seems to be a turning point in your relationship with him. You watch him take another drink. You're both comfortable with this. He places it next to you and you take another. "Alright! Don't be drinkin' it all, girl!" You notice that he sat closer than he was before he got up.

You smile and look down at your phone, "sorry."

You make small talk about current events, then ask him about Christmas.

"Yeah the kids'll be down for their break, about two weeks. I'll be decorating the shack, even though I don't really celebrate. I've been celebrating for years 'cause this town's so obsessed with holidays, but it's not really part-a me."

"Are you not Christian or something?"

"I'm not really religious at all, but my family's Jewish."

"That's cool! Do they celebrate Hanukkah?"

"Yeah, I celebrated that as a kid. It was a dulled down version, we used the menorah and had the eight days of gifts, though, the basics."

"I learn more and more about you every day, Stan."

"Well, what about you? What're you gonna do for Christmas?"

"I think I may go home and see my family, but I'm not sure."

"You should really go see them. I'll give ya a couple days off."

"I'll see what the weather's like around that time. How bad did you say winters were?"

"Real bad! They're terrible. My car just gives up sometimes and I lose business. They're pointless!"

You laugh, "you're right. I'll have to see then if I'm leaving. It's about a month away so I have time to think about it."

You talk a little more, then he asks, "hey, you wanna head inside? It's gettin' a little chilly."

"You know, I think I'm gonna go. I had some errands to run." Did he look disappointed? "It was really fun talking with you and Soos. I'd like to get to know you guys, we should hang out more."

You both stand and walk towards the parking lot. "We might. Maybe we could have more picnics when it warms up." He leans on the column outside the gift shop.

"Yeah, that'd be fun!" You wave and get in your car, watching him watch you as you drive away.

Before, you were thinking about what he'd like to get as a gift. Maybe something sentimental or maybe something pretty nice. Now you had the perfect gift giving idea, and you couldn't wait to execute it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like this one wasn't as good, so sorry about that D:
> 
> I was reading loopylupita's new years fic and I almost freaked out because it seemed like she was gonna have the same Christmas idea as me omg. She didn't, but it did give me an idea :))). She's so good at writing though, seriously.
> 
> sorry, i'm just gonna flat out ignore thanksgiving. i hate thanksgiving （ ´_⊃｀）


	8. Stan's Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was sitting on this one for a while, because I was unsure of how well I've written it. I hope it's alright! This is basically just some filler stuff!

You're not exactly dreading Stan's date, you're just worried. He doesn't seem like the type of person to stop talking to someone in favor of someone else but the thought keeps nagging at you. 

"Hey hun," Stan's sitting on the stool, looking up, as you walk through the door.

"Hey!" You lean your body on the counter and rest your bag next to the money he's counting. He has his jacket unbuttoned and you take a long glace. You're growing to love his little ponch.

He fidgets with a few bills, "I'm gonna go ahead and close early tonight. 'Cause-a my date an' all."

"Sure thing," you say, pretending to pull a piece of lint off your shirt, meeting his eye when you look up. You give a smile, "you gonna get dirty?"

"You know me too well, sweetcheeks." He waves his handful of money, "alright, there's some stock in the back. Could ya put it out?"

"'Course." You lift the strap off your shoulder and walk to the curtained closet. Inside, there's multiple boxes of extra merchandise, two with rough stars drawn on that need to be brought out, and cleaning supplies for Soos. You smile at the small detail that Stan gives the boxes each night, grabbing one and bringing it to the front. You set the box on the floor and begin stacking hats, getting that nervous feeling about him watching you. Don't mess anything up. You can't hear him flipping through bills or counting under his breath, and now a million thoughts of how you could knock something over or trip are running through your mind.

You hear the floor creak as you put the last hat on the shelf. He's probably going to check out the attractions, since none of them have been switched out in a while. You jump a little when he walks up next to you and grabs a hat. Who knew he could be so stealthy. He flicks the hat to give it shape and slaps it on your head, crossing his arms as you smile.

"You wanna hat?" he asks.

"Depends, for $30 or for free?"

"Hmm," he cocks his head, "$20, employee discount."

"No thanks," you say as you grab the lid about to slip it off, but he stops you with his hand and rests it on your head. "$10."

You push his arm away, "do you want me to wear a hat, Stan?" 

"It wouldn't hurt!" He crosses his arms again, "I think it'd be a nice touch, make ya look Mystery Shack approved or some shit."

"Well, I'll wear it if you want, but I hate wearing hats. They make my ears look weird."

He looks at you for a moment and nods, "ya know, it does give you kind of an elf/goblin/Dumbo look."

You laugh and pull it off, "you look like a goblin all the time, with Dumbo ears x4."

He snatches it from you, "I was kidding, ya prude! So bitter! You don't gotta wear it," he shoves it back on the shelf, "sheesh! Actin' like I was gonna take a limb or somethin'." You watch him walk back to the counter, then start stacking mystery boxes on the table in the middle of the room. You sometimes gotta wonder why you like him so much since he's such a cranky old man. His stamina in bed is probably through the roof, and you bet he could last a while...

You interrupt your thought, feeling too weird and uncomfortable to think of that while he's 10 feet from you. You glance up, watch him put money in the register, then you grab the empty box and head to the back. When you come out with the second box in hand, he's buttoning his jacket and standing by the door. You set the box by the rack of shirts and he looks up, smoothing his hands over the buttons, "alright prude, I'm gonna be in the museum most-a the day. Probably comin' around to talk with customers and make sure this place isn't destroyed. I'm gonna close up at 6 tonight, so it's not really much of a difference than normal."

You fiddle with your nametag, "okay, sounds good. You have some new attractions in mind?"

"Yeah, I've got a few," he squints, "you gotta come see 'em if you wanna know what they are."

You smile and shrug, "I might take a look at some point. You think you'll have them all done by tonight? Or are you gonna be too pent up and nervous about your date?"

"I ain't nervous, Dumbo. I'm cool as a clam and ready for little Stan to have some company."

You roll your eyes, laughing, and start putting a shirt on a hanger, "I hope he's not all shriveled up."

"I keep 'im busy," you can see him smile and you give a fake grimace, "so he's in good shape."

You shake your head, "gross, get out."

"WOOF! Alright, I'm goin'!" He opens the door and steps out. 

You finish with the shirts and flatten the boxes, leaving them in the back room for Stan's weekly recycling trip, which has basically passed onto you in the past month. You sit in the stool behind the counter and stare at the hats. Ball caps do usually give you Dumbo ears, and his hats were super cheesy. You sigh and get up, walking over to them. You grab the one he was messing with and put it on, using a mirror in your bag to fix the straggly hair around your ears. "God, I look so fucking stupid."

The door opens and Soos walks in, "hey dude! Abuelita loved your brownies."

"That's awesome!"

He giggles, "what's with the hat? You look like a tourist."

"Stan wanted me to wear it," you huff, "now I can't tell if he was joking or not."

"Well, he's always trying to improve on something around here. Maybe it's a good idea! But hey, I'm gonna be working on the golf cart today. It's been acting mad cray-cray, bro."  
"Alright," you laugh at his choice of words, "have fun. Wait, did Stan tell you about closing early?"

"Yeah. I'm excited about his date tonight. Although he'll probably make up some excuse to not talk to the lady afterwards."

"I'm excited, too! I hope they keep talking, just because he needs someone a little older in his life, don't you think?"

"Definitely, dude," he opens the door and waves, "I'll see ya around lunch."

The only customers that come through for a couple of hours are ones asking when the tour is. There's a sign right in front of the museum that people refuse to read, for some reason. A little before noon, a crowd starts to gather outside the gift shop and you hear Stan yell at them when the tour begins. 

You're excited to see Stan's reaction to you wearing the hat, so your heart speeds up when the tourists start bustling in. You're in a transaction when you see him walk through the "employees only" door in the corner of your eye. You pretend to be preoccupied with customers and not notice him, talking with the next person in line. You can see him look over at you then continue on to talk with people. There was only about 10 people in the group, so they're out quickly. After the last person you look over at Stan, who's smiling at you, and playfully cock your head. He walks over and tugs on the lid, "my lil' dumbo cashier. The town'll never believe I have a talking elephant workin' here."

"Whatever," you laugh and sit, "I felt bad for not wearing it, so here I am."

"It doesn't look as bad as you think. It makes ya look authentic Mystery Shack."

"Cheap?" You joke. He grins and leans his hip on the counter, arms crossed. "Fake?"

"Exactly. Ya know, I don't get why you rag on the shack all the time. It has its high points."

"You're a scam artist."

He presses his mouth together in a weird frown, "Stan the scam."

You laugh, "that's right." You sigh and shrug, "I mean, at least you're successful. You're able to live so people choose to remain ignorant while you're makin' bank."

"I like how you think, dumbo."

You lean forward and put your chin on your fist. "So, since the shack's not too busy... and it's almost Hanukkah, could you tell me about celebrating it when you were younger and stuff? If you want. I've been thinkin' about it all day."

He looks a little uncomfortable, giving your arm a blank stare, then shrugs, "it wasn't a huge thing. Both-a my parents were Jewish and it was mostly my ma who wanted the celebration part. We would light the menorah every night and my-I would get a present before bed. It was just somethin' small, not a big deal. We wouldn't celebrate Christmas at all, even though I really wanted to. But like I said, I'm not religious or nothin', so none of it really matters."

"Have you ever set up a tree here and had presents under it?"

"Nah, I'm alone all the time, so there's no reason to. I've been with Soos once, but his family's super Catholic. It was a crazy experience."

"Well you gotta decorate for the kids this year, huh?"

"Yes ma'am I do. You wanna help me? I wanted to put the tree up and other stuff before they get here, and I'm needin' a touch around here that ain't Soos'."

"Sure!" You smile at his invitation, "it seems fun!"

"Sounds like a plan," he smiles at you as he pushes off the counter. "I'm headin' back to the museum. Still workin' on some attractions. I'll see ya in a few."

"Alright, see ya later."

Stan's straightforwardness is a good sign, it might mean that he actually wants to spend some time with you. Usually he'd joke around about something like that or say something negative until your persistance "wore him down", but he just wanted a flat answer this time. One step at a time, _____.

People filtered in throughout the day and there were only about two more tour groups. When it reached 6, the people stopped coming around and Stan comes in to check the damage. He looks disgruntled as he glances around, unhappy about the mess that wasn't there.

"Yeah," you tell him, "we weren't very busy today at all."

"I noticed," he crosses his arms.

"At least you have a little more time to prepare. Is she coming here, you meeting her somewhere else, what's the deal?"

He sighs, walking over to you, "We're just gonna meet somewhere. I called her up earlier and she wanted to meet at The Club. HA! As if! Who has the type-a money for that? I told her Hermanos would be better, so that's where we're goin'. You been there?"

"Nah, I haven't really been out anywhere since I moved here. No restaurants at least. Is it good?"

"It's alright. You gotta get out more. Are you a hermit?"

"No! I do get out. I walk around sometimes, I've been to the store, I've been down to the lake, and I took a hike last month. Do you know what hiking is?"

"Yes, experienced traveler, I know what hiking is." The phone in the house started to ring. "That's gotta be her," he pats his hands on the counter and jogs to the door, "go ahead and clean up a little, then you can head on out. See ya tomorrow, hun," he goes into the living room.

"Bye!" You yell after him, "have fun!" I hope she's boring. You hear his voice as you straighten up, trying to listen but unable to understand what he's saying. You went around the store a couple of times and in the back, since it didn't really feel like your day was finished. You grab your stuff and yell "bye Stan" one more time before leaving. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You head to the shack the next day ready to hear about Stan's night. You just hope that his date isn't still there when you show up. There aren't any cars in the lot when you pull in, and you're relieved she's not here. You walk up the steps and open the door, seeing Stan sitting at the counter.

"Sooo," you playfully jaunt over to him, "how'd it go?"

His eyes are heavy, letting out a sigh and giving a look that makes your heart flutter. He walks around the counter and stands close. He reaches out his hand, placing his thumb on your chin and his fingers underneath, rubbing slightly. You don't break eye contact and you feel your face burning, you want to look away but you can't. His fingers are rough and large, his thumb covering half of your chin, and the way it feels makes your heart go crazy. You lean into his touch and take in a sharp breath, unsure of what to do.  
He leans in and lightly kisses you, still making eye contact. His lips are soft, his chin is rough with stubble, and he smells like he did every day. He pulls away, making you lean forward from the absence of support, and watches you. You're about to speak, probably to say something stupid to lighten the mood, but he takes the oppurtunity to put his mouth on yours again. Your mouths are open this time and you feel the heat between your lips. You close your eyes as he does and you feel his hand glide from your chin to the side of your neck, giving it a squeeze, and using his other to gently pull you closer from the hip. 

He abrubtly pulls away and grabs the back of your thighs, lifting you so you can sit on the counter. He starts to kiss your cheek and you lean your head back as he trails down your neck. His hands travel to your breasts, stroking them on top of the shirt as you grab a fistful of his hair. He bites down on your neck as he gives your hip a tight squeeze.  
You wake up, shocked, and feel your neck. You reach for your phone, blinking as your eyes try to get adjusted to the brightness, and switch the alarm off. You lay back down and stare up, eyes wide. "Woah." You've had dreams about intimacy with Stan before, but nothing ever this vivid. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Parts of the dream stick with you during your drive to the shack and your heart is as wild as it was when you woke up. How are you going to act around Stan? There's no reason for the day to be awkward; he doesn't know about the dream so you don't need to act like it happened. 

You realize that his date could still be there when you pull into the lot, but there aren't any cars except yours. The gift shop light is on so it could be either Stan or Soos. _Please be Soos_. You walk through the door and see Stan at the counter, preparing the register. _Oh god_. He looks up and you give him a little smile. 

"How'd it go?" You stand in front of the counter, trying to keep as much distance as you can.

"She was dyin' to get some-a this, babe. You shoulda seen 'er." He grins and cocks his brow, making you roll your eyes. "She had a good ol' time, I guaruntee it. No one leaves the Mystery Shack unsatisfied." He closes the register, crosses his arms, and leans back in the stool. 

"So she came here, huh? Was she impressed with the state of your house?"

"She didn't care about none of that. She was too distracted."

"Of course she was."

He leans forward and lowers his voice, "get this. I remembered how much you liked my knuckles that one night, so I brought 'em out for 'er. Maybe she'd find 'em sexy or somethin', I don't know. She ate 'em up, fuckin' loved 'em."

Your heart sunk and you felt... betrayed? The knuckles were a thing for you and him, at least that's what they seem like now. It was how you both bonded and what you have in common... maybe he does just see you as his kid employee.

"Wow," you smile but the jealousy lingers, "it's good that you had something to offer her, I guess."

"Alright, shut up. You're always rude and bitter to my kind soul. Go stock or somethin'."

"Whatever, you can take it. You know I'm always joking anyway, you baby. You're not even that bad." 

"Oh yeah?" He leans on the counter, getting closer, "I'm not as disappointing as you say, huh?"

"Not really, you're okay." You smile and slip your bag off. "Sometimes." You look down as you laugh, picking little pieces of wood off the counter. He laughs with you and nudges your fingers, "you're gonna take it apart, knock it off." 

"Sorry," you glance up at him, then push off the counter and head towards the back room. You rub your face with embarrassment when you pass the curtain, your heart pounding. "Gosh," you whisper. Was he trying to get a reaction out of you by talking about her? Your stomach drops. He might know that you like him and he's trying to distance you.  
You glance at him when you bring the only marked box out and see that he's watching you. You squint at him and set the box down by the table in the middle of the room. 

"People really love these mystery boxes," you say as you stack them.

"They sure do. It's probably the most popular item here." 

You shake one and listen, "what's in these anyway?"

"Just junk I find around the place." He gets up and walks over, "I put a note in some-a them to give it a little story or somethin'." He grabs the box you're holding and opens it, pulling out some kind of crystal. "See, this stuff is just lyin' around here so why not sell it?"

"What's the note say?" 

Looking down at it, he reads, "Congratulations! You're now the proud owner of an authentic magic crystal! Found deep in the woods of Gravity Falls, this crystal will grant you good luck and a healthy life. Keep it close, and treat it with care."

You laugh, "that doesn't sound like you at all."

"I know." He stuffs the crystal back in the box and crudely reseals it, "makes me wanna barf."

He sit/leans on the table with his arms crossed, and stays like that for the hour or so that you talk. You're happy he's conversing with you like usual, and he doesn't seem to be acting any different. Hopefully it'll stay like this if he actually starts seeing her.

A customer comes in, cutting your conversation short. Stan starts up his Mr. Mystery act and greets them as you walk behind the counter. You watch Stan talk with the man, studying him more. He's a pretty interesting person, and you've noticed recently that he changes his selling tactic depending on the person. If it's a woman, he flirts, if it's a man like Manly Dan, he acts tough and tries to insult them enough to buy, if it's an elderly person, he'll use a sob story or try to act generous to guilt them, if it's a regular looking guy like the one in the shop now, he'll try to act like their pal to convince them that a certain item is the one they want. You guess that's pretty common practice for selling things, but with him it's fascinating. 

The guy's shopping last minute for his son's birthday party this afternoon, so Stan shows him some Mystery Shack themed toys and shirts, then obviously the mystery boxes. He ends up choosing a shirt and box then rushes out quickly after paying. 

Stan sighs, making you look over, as he takes off his fez and runs his hand through his hair. He looks at you and tosses his hat over, "try it on."

You barely catch it, "why?"

"I dunno," he says as he stands closer. "Nobody gets ta wear it, you should be honored."

You place it on your head, not all the way to your brows like he wears it, and smile. "How does it look?"

"It looks better on me."

"You're right," you laugh, take it off, and hand it back. "Speaking of," you reach into your bag and grab the hat from yesterday, putting it on.

"There ya go. We have hat 'swagger', or whatever the kids say these days."

You laugh and talk with him for another half hour before he says he needs to head to the museum to get set up for the first tour. The people start showing around 11:30 and the group probably has 15 to 20 people in it when the tour begins. That's usually an indicator of a busy day and a good sign. The day is busy, kicking off around 1, and you don't get much time to yourself. The shack is weird that way; you'll get ten customers one day then 100 customers the next. You just wish it would even out at some point so you know what you have to deal with.

The crowds thin out and Stan finishes his tours, coming in the shop for the first time since leaving almost 8 hours ago, then sees off the last of the customers. He smiles as he turns toward you, "you can go ahead and head out if you like. After cleaning, obviously. I ain't cleanin' this place." 

He sits in the stool and starts counting the money he made today as you clean up. "You were on fire today," you tell him. "Look how empty some of the shelves are. I barely had time to put out new stuff."

"How many boxes were ya able to get out?"

"About five. It was enough to keep items circulating."

Well, that's good. Thank you, hun. You're a good worker."

You look over at him and scrunch your face, joking around but embarrassed by the sentiment, "thanks." He smiles a little and continues counting as you finish up straightening the place out.

Your heart starts to beat faster for no reason as you walk behind the counter to get your bag. "Excuse me," you say as you reach in front of his legs. Your forearm grazes his knee when you pull it out and you give a small "sorry".

"It's alright... hey, you wanna little extra?"

You scrunch your brow, "money?"

"Yes, money. You want it or not?"

"Okay when I say I would like extra, are you gonna prank me and hand me a dollar or something?"

"Well it ain't gonna be millions! I was just thinkin' like $20 or somethin', since we did so good today."

You shrug, "sure. If you're positive." He's hands you a 20 and you marvel at it, "thanks!" 

"No problem," he says as he stuffs the rest of the money away. He undoes his tie and unbuttons his jacket then the first couple buttons of his shirt. You look at the little amount of hair poking through and imagine the rest of what his date saw. "Let's get ya home, huh?" he says, making you look up, then stands. He follows you to the door and stands on the porch. You turn toward him, "you don't have to stand there, it's getting pretty cold."

"I gotta make sure you're safe. A young pretty lady at night surrounded by woods ain't an ideal situation."

You roll your eyes, "I'll be fine."

"Like I give a shit what you think. I'll see ya tomorrow." He still stands there, waiting. You throw your arm at him and walk to your car. You need to let it warm up, so you look over at him and raise your eyebrows. He shrugs, gets a soda from the machine, and sits on the steps. You smile at him for a moment, watching him take a drink, then pull away and drive off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the sexy part was the hardest thing i've ever had to write oh my god...........how do the porn people do it....i tried to make it a little obnoxious and fast paced like a dream... i was so excited for something sexual gOD


	9. not a real chapter sry

this is just a test lol. i updated this like 2 days ago and it's saying i did a week ago so nah


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